This invention relates generally to the game of golf and more particularly to putters used in playing golf.
In a typical round of golf an average golfer will use up to half or even more of his total strokes on the greens with his putter. Any improvement in a golfer's putting can, therefore, have a dramatic effect on the golfer's score. Over the years there have been many attempts to provide a putter that, with the same degree of skill employed by the golfer, will minimize the effects of mis-hits so that fewer puts will be missed.
The balanced weight distribution of a center shafted putter head allows a more consistent stroke of a putter keeping the face of the blade square to the line of the put, however, the conventional center shafted putter is very unforgiving if the ball is not struck precisely at the "sweet spot", i.e., in line with the center of mass, of the head of the putter. A slight mis-hit of as little as one-eighth of an inch results in sufficient torque that can cause a 10% or more dispersion, even with a stroke in alignment with the intended line of the put.
Torque forces were significantly decreased in a prior art design in which the heel and toe portions of the head were increased in weight relative to the central portion with the weighting of the putter a little heavier in the toe than the heel and the shaft attached to the head at the heel thereof. Dispersion was decreased to an approximately 2.5-4% range. However, in this design, due to the weight distribution, the natural tendency in using the putter is to open the face slightly on the back stroke and close the face slightly on the forward stroke. This characteristic requires greater sensitivity, timing and coordination than many, if not most, players have.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a putter which has an improved, low dispersion rate as well as one which is conducive to maintaining the face of the blade square to the line of the put during both the back stroke and the forward stroke. Another object is the provision of a well balanced putter having a good "feel" when striking the ball.
Briefly, a putter made in accordance with the invention, comprises a head having a generally U-shaped shaft attachment bar in which the shaft is attached to the bight of the U-shaped bar and the two legs are attached to the back of the blade of the putter head. According to a feature of the invention the weight of the head, including the shaft attachment bar, is approximately 30% at each of the toe and the heel portions of the putter and 40% in the central portion, the central portion including the shaft attachment bar. The shaft is attached to the bar so that the longitudinal axis of the shaft passes through the center of mass of the putter head so that when the shaft is balanced on the center of gravity of the entire club the head will be balanced in any orientation. According to another feature of the invention the sole of the putter is formed with a modified rocker configuration having three flat portions to provide several stable angular orientations for a golfer to set up with. According to yet another feature of the invention the mass of the putter increases in the direction going from the top surface of the face to the sole.